Utilization and Perceived Need for Mental Health Services Among Homeless Seniors.

Autor: Moon I; Anna Maria College, Social Work, 50 Sunset Ln, Paxton, MA, 01612, USA. mooningyu@gmail.com., Yun KK; Alliance University School of Social Work, 2 Washington St, New York, NY, 10004, USA., Jennings M; Project FIND in the Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, 160 W 71st St, 2F, New York, NY, 10023, USA.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Community mental health journal [Community Ment Health J] 2024 Nov; Vol. 60 (8), pp. 1596-1605. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jul 16.
DOI: 10.1007/s10597-024-01314-2
Abstrakt: Homeless seniors confront distinct challenges regarding their mental health needs and service access. This study aims to illuminate the mental health landscape of homeless seniors by examining the prevalence of mental illness, utilization of mental health services, and perceived need for mental health care. The study comprises 177 homeless seniors in New York, NY. Findings indicate 10.2% experiencing depression, 10.2% schizophrenia, and 5.7% bipolar disorder. Despite high prevalence, there is a significant gap between diagnosed mental health conditions and service utilization, with only 50% of those with depression seeking care. Perceived need for mental health services emerges as a critical aspect of the study, with over half of those suffering from depression (61.1%; n = 11), PTSD (75%; n = 3), schizophrenia (77.8%; n = 14), and other mental illnesses (100%; n = 1) expressing a need for mental health care. Also, mental health conditions, loneliness, and levels of social support play significant roles in a need for mental health services.
Competing Interests: Declarations. Research Involving Human Participants: - In February 2019, this study was approved by the IRB. All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed Consent: Informed consent was collected from all individual participants. Conflict of interest: The authors of this study declare that we have no conflict of interest.
(© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
Externí odkaz: